Teething-nipple.



No. 722,350 PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

P. B. ANDERSON. TEETHING NIPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1902.

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ATENI rricn.

FRANK BYRON ANDERSON, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

TEETlHlNG-NIPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,350, dated March10, 1903.

Application filed June 5, 1902. Serial No. 110,338. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK BYRON ANDER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State ofIowa,have invented a new and useful Teething-Nipple, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to teething-nipples, and is designed to improvesuch devices so as to prevent the same from being thrust so far into themouth of the child as to gag it and also to have the nipple constructedso as to obviate injury to the mouth and gums of the child. It isfurthermore designed to render the device useful as a toy and to equipthe same with a whistle, which is arranged to be sounded by thecompression and expansion of the nipple under the manipulation of thehands of the child.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompany drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a teething-nippleembodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thenipple.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention I employ a hollow bulb 1, ofsubstantially spherical shape and preferably formed of rubber, so as tobe soft, smooth, and elastic, one side of the bulb being extended toform a reduced tubular projection 2, which is the form of an ordinarynipple, but differs from a nipple in that its outer end is imperforateor entirely closed. The nipple 2 is tapered or enlarged adjacent to thebulb, and it merges into the walls of the same at that point. Itwill ofcourse be understood that the nipple is integral with the bulb and ishollow and communicates with the latter, so that the entire device iscollapsible and, being formed of rubber, is also elastic, so as toimmediately spring out into its normal shape after being compressed.

Diametrically opposite the nipple 2 the bulb 1 is provided with anopening in which is fitted a whistle 3, which is adapted to be soundedby the air expelled from and taken into the bulb when being compressedand expanded.

While it is possible to have the device in various sizes, the mostconvenient size is to have the bulb 1 substantially two inches indiameter and the nipple 2 about an inch and a quarter in length. Viththese proportions the nipple 2 will reach the rear portions of the gumsof a child, while the enlarged bulb 1 forms a guard to prevent theentire device from being forced into the mouth of the child, and inaddition to serving as a guard the bulb also forms a handle of aconvenient size and shape to be held either in one hand or in bothhands. Moreover, the bulb being rounded, smooth, and yieldable it willnot injure the gums of the child should it be brought into contacttherewith, and therefore this hollow elastic bulb-guard is a veryimportant improvement over the bone ringguards, as the latter form ofguard is frequently forced edgewise into the mouth of the child andhurts the gums thereof.

Besides forming a teething-nipple, the present device also serves as atoy, as the nipple 2 forms a convenient handle by which the device maybe swung about by the child, and as the bulb 1 is hollow and elastic noharm will result if the child strikes itself in the face with the bulb.In addition to this toy feature the whistle will be sounded by thecompression of the nipple between the gums of the child and also whenthe bulb is compressed under the action of the childs hands, and thenoise produced thereby, of course, gives additional amusement to thechild. It is preferred to locate the whistle at a'point substantiallydiametrically opposite from the nipple, as it is then disposed in such aposition as not to come in contact with the face of the child when thedevice is being swung about upon the nipple as a handle.

What I claim is- 1. A teething-nipple consisting of a hollow elasticbulb having one side extended and the entire device into the mouth ofthe child, and a Whistle set into an opening of the bulb and arranged tobe sounded by the compres- 15 sion of the nipple, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK BYRON ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

BLEIK PETERS, M. H. HOLLIDAY.

